


The Food of Love

by Mezo_Phane



Series: The Peace of Love [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Armitage Hux Lives, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Baking, Birthday, F/M, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Rose Tico Deserved Better, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, armitage hux is soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:22:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28786398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mezo_Phane/pseuds/Mezo_Phane
Summary: It’s Armitage Hux’s forty-fourth birthday, and his daughter Thanya wants to surprise her Daddy.
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Armitage Hux's Mother, Armitage Hux & Original Child Character(s), Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Armitage Hux’s Mother & Original Child Character(s)
Series: The Peace of Love [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2106060
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	The Food of Love

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired after posting the three one-shots that make up “The Peace of Love” to write more in this series. *Author sighs and shakes her head*

“How does it feel, Armitage — forty-four,” Aisling grinned from across the table at her son, Armitage Hux.

“You say it like I’m turning forty-four today, it’s next week, Mother.And forty-four is hardly old,” he sighed, his Arkanisian brogue thick from having been around his mother since last week, adjusting his tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses that were now an every day necessity, which didn’t exactly help his case.

Aisling merely chuckled, “Well, no matter how old you get, you’ll always be my wee wean,” making Armitage smile lovingly at his mother.

“Thanya, don’t play with your food,” he admonished, clicking his tongue at his six-year-old daughter who had been left in his care, Rose off-planet for a meeting with the New Republic leadership.He hoped Dameron wouldn’t detain her too long, but she had promised to twist his arm if she had to, so she could be home by his birthday.

“But it’s yucky, Daddy, I don’t like it,” she pouted, looking at the mixed vegetables which were the only thing left on her plate.

“You need to eat your vegetables, Thanya, they’re good for you,” he replied.

“But Da-addy! _Please_!”She looked up at him with wide, rich brown eyes which were entirely her mother’s, and Armitage could feel his will slipping. 

Just as he was steeling himself to insist she eat at least two pieces of vegetables, his mother interjected, “All right, Thanya, Móraí Aisling’s going to spare you from your vegetables today, but you have to promise to eat them next time, okay?”

Thanya leapt out of her chair to hug her grandmother, crying, “Thank you, Móraí Aisling!”

Aisling smiled, “Why don’t you come with me, and I’m going to teach you how to bake blueberry muffins.Did you know that those were your Daddy’s favorites when he was even younger than you?”

“Really?”

“Oh, aye!Why, he could eat three in one sitting.I taught him how to bake them when he was just one year younger than you.Now I’ll teach you.”

As she led Thanya to the kitchen, Armitage called, “You’re spoiling her, you know?”

His mother raised a still-scarlet eyebrow, saying,“Like you’re any better.”

Point taken.

* * *

It was very early morning on his birthday, and Armitage was sleeping deeply, wrapped around Rose, who had arrived three days ago — thankfully not having to resort to the promised arm-twisting — with the subsequent message from Dameron, “Tell Hugs to have a happy birthday!” when he heard a clatter from the first floor.

Immediately, he woke, and disentangled himself from Rose, whom he was careful not to wake, as he gingerly took his blaster and trusty monomolecular blade from his nightstand.

He crept downstairs, and was eventually greeted with the sight of his precious daughter precariously balancing on a chair, trying to pull what looked like the muffin tray from one of the topmost kitchen cabinets.

He rushed over to her, placing the blaster and the blade out of her reach, saying, “Thanya!What are you doing?!You could seriously hurt yourself!”

She jumped, turning in her father’s hold, “D — Daddy!I’m sorry, I… ”

And she broke down in tears.

He quickly carried her to the table, sitting down and hugging her tightly as he rubbed her back.“Now, now, Than.Shh.Stop crying.Daddy’s not mad, you just gave him an awful fright.”

“I — I’m sorry for — for scaring you, Daddy,” she hiccuped, “I was — I was just — trying to surprise you.”

“Well, you certainly did that, my dear.What on earth were you trying to surprise me with?”

Her lip trembled, and she got out, “I got up early because I wanted to make Móraí Aisling’s blueberry muffins like she taught me, because it’s your birthday, and she said it’s your favorite, and I wanted to surprise you for your birthday, Daddy.Now my surprise is _ruined_.”

Armitage’s jaw fell slack, and his heart melted.“Oh, you… ”And he pulled her into an even tighter hug, kissing the top of her head, and running a gentle hand down her hair.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said into his shoulder, her small arms clasped around his neck.

“There’s nothing to forgive, just promise Daddy you won’t try to reach anything in the top cabinets without my or Mommy’s help, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.I promise,” she sniffed.

“Now,” he said, pulling back, “how about we make those muffins, together?”

“But… it’s not a birthday surprise anymore,” she frowned.

“It doesn’t matter, it’ll still be wonderful because I’m making them with my best girl,” he smiled.

“I’m your only girl, Daddy,” Thanya laughed.

“You’d still be the best,” he replied, gently pinching her rosebud cheek.

She giggled, “Okay, Daddy.”Just then, a peculiar look shifted his daughter’s features, which were more like his and his mother’s than they were like Rose’s.

“What’s wrong, Than?”

She bit her lip in the exact expression her mother would use when she was trying to figure out how to tell him something he might not like.“Do… do you still remember the recipe?Móraí Aisling said she taught it to you when you were younger than me, and now you’re so old, Daddy.”

Shaking his head, as he unsuccessfully tried to restrain his grin, he said, “Impertinent child!I think so, but if I forget, you tell me what to do, alright?”

At her vigorous nod, father and daughter set to work.

* * *

Some time later, the two were sitting in front of the oven, watching their muffins.

“Should we take them out now, Daddy?”

“What did Móraí Aisling say when we should take them out?”He asked, though he knew exactly when to take them out.

“‘When they’re golden brown,’” she intoned, doing a fairly good impression of her grandmother’s voice and accent.“When will they be golden brown, Daddy?”

“Soon, I think, sweetling.”

They waited in front of the oven for five more minutes, before instincts from long ago told Armitage to remove them from the oven.

They looked at the steaming, fragrant muffins, waiting just long enough for them to cool, before they took one each, and bit into the sugared crust at the top.

“They taste like just like Móraí Aisling’s!”Thanya exclaimed around a mouthful of muffin as she sat on the counter, her little legs swinging.

“Yes, they do, good job Than,” he smiled, recalling happy childhood memories.

The two of them ate one more muffin between them, before Armitage said, “Alright, my darling, I think that’s enough, we’ll ruin the lovely breakfast Mommy’s going to cook in a while if we keep eating these, and we should leave some anyway for Mommy and Móraí Aisling.”

“Okay, Daddy.”She paused. “I’m sorry I scared you, Daddy.And I think… even though I wanted the muffins to be a surprise, it was better this way, because I got to make them with you.”She surged forward, his quick reflexes catching her to his chest.Thanya pressed a loud, sticky kiss to his cheek, then said, as she near-stranglingly embraced him, “I love you, Daddy.You’re the bestest Daddy in the whole galaxy.Happy birthday.”

Armitage could feel the tears welling in his eyes, and he couldn’t help the slight sniffle that escaped him.

“Daddy?Are you okay?”Thanya asked, as she pulled back, alarmed to see tears in her father’s eyes.

“I’m alright,” he smiled waterily, gently setting her down on the floor.“Daddy just got some flour in his eye.Why don’t you go wash up in the bathroom down the hall, I’ll take care of the mess we made.”

Thanya looked like she didn’t quite believe her father’s excuse, but then she nodded, and hugged his legs before running off to the bathroom. 

As soon as her footsteps had receded, Armitage turned back to the counter, bracing his hands on either side of himself, as the tears began to fall.He took off his glasses, wiping at the moisture on his cheeks as he pinched the bridge of his nose, futilely willing himself to stop crying.

Soon, he felt familiar arms wrap around him, and he pivoted in the gentle hold to pull Rose even closer to him.

“How much did you hear?”He asked, speaking into the crown of her head.

“I came down when I smelled the muffins,” she softly replied.“I can’t believe she wanted to bake all by herself.”

“It’s that strong-willed personality she got from you,” he muttered.

“Not just me,” she said good-naturedly.

They stood there in silence for a while, before he murmured, “Thank you.”

“For what?”Rose asked, pulling back to look into his eyes.

“For everything, mo ghrá.You have given me everything, and I gave you nothing in return,” he ruefully breathed.

“‘Nothing’?”She said, gently rubbing her thumb over the tear tracks on his cheek, and over his cheekbone, “You gave me love and a family, and that’s everything to me.Happy birthday, Armie,” and she reached up to place a gentle, loving kiss on his lips.

And if there was a lot more flour that somehow made its way into his eyes that day, no one mentioned it.

**Author's Note:**

> Arkanish (Irish) Glossary
> 
> Aisling (pronounced ASH-ling) [means “dream” or “vision”]
> 
> Wee: This term is used to describe something or someone who is very small.
> 
> Wean: child (pronounced wayne)
> 
> Móraí: grandma (pronounced MO ree)
> 
> Aye: yes
> 
> Mo Ghrá: my love (pronounced muh GRAWH)
> 
> I used google translate and various websites to glean my information — Irish speaking people, please, please do not hesitate to correct me if anything is wrong here!
> 
> Please read & review!


End file.
